"She picked it up and put it back. The dial tone stopped.
'That's a good girl. Now, you come outside.'"
–JOYCE CAROL OATES
"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?"

 

INNER CITY STORIES

I used to be a good girl

Good grades, sunny days

So good I was always praised

But things changed.

Started to switch lanes

Smoking every day, drinking where I stay

Always had something to say

 

But it’s okay . . . right?

As long as I’m safe at night

Not to mention I liked to fight

So it was always, on site I was tight, packed a lot of might

I wasn’t worried about riding bikes or flying kites

I was worried about where I was going to sleep the next night

Daddy wasn’t around, actually nowhere to be found

That’s what bought me down, in so deep I think I might drown

But they tell me to fix my frown, yah know what they say, “turn it upside down”

 

But things change, right?

I’ll be back soon, maybe in springtime when the flowers bloom.

Soon, I say, soon.